第88章

WHEN WATERS ENGULF US WE REACH FOR A STAR

It was when he returned from his disturbed stroll about the streets, after receiving the decisive note from McGregor, James and Hay, that Hurstwood found the letter Carrie had written him that morning.He thrilled intensely as he noted the handwriting, and rapidly tore it open.

"Then," he thought, "she loves me or she would not have written to me at all."

He was slightly depressed at the tenor of the note for the first few minutes, but soon recovered."She wouldn't write at all if she didn't care for me."

This was his one resource against the depression which held him.

He could extract little from the wording of the letter, but the spirit he thought he knew.

There was really something exceedingly human--if not pathetic--in his being thus relieved by a clearly worded reproof.He who had for so long remained satisfied with himself now looked outside of himself for comfort--and to such a source.The mystic cords of affection! How they bind us all.

The colour came to his cheeks.For the moment he forgot the letter from McGregor, James and Hay.If he could only have Carrie, perhaps he could get out of the whole entanglement--

perhaps it would not matter.He wouldn't care what his wife did with herself if only he might not lose Carrie.He stood up and walked about, dreaming his delightful dream of a life continued with this lovely possessor of his heart.

It was not long, however, before the old worry was back for consideration, and with it what weariness! He thought of the morrow and the suit.He had done nothing, and here was the afternoon slipping away.It was now a quarter of four.At five the attorneys would have gone home.He still had the morrow until noon.Even as he thought, the last fifteen minutes passed away and it was five.Then he abandoned the thought of seeing them any more that day and turned to Carrie.

It is to be observed that the man did not justify himself to himself.He was not troubling about that.His whole thought was the possibility of persuading Carrie.Nothing was wrong in that.

He loved her dearly.Their mutual happiness depended upon it.

Would that Drouet were only away!

While he was thinking thus elatedly, he remembered that he wanted some clean linen in the morning.

This he purchased, together with a half-dozen ties, and went to the Palmer House.As he entered he thought he saw Drouet ascending the stairs with a key.Surely not Drouet! Then he thought, perhaps they had changed their abode temporarily.He went straight up to the desk.

"Is Mr.Drouet stopping here?" he asked of the clerk.

"I think he is," said the latter, consulting his private registry list."Yes."

"Is that so?" exclaimed Hurstwood, otherwise concealing his astonishment."Alone?" he added.

"Yes," said the clerk.

Hurstwood turned away and set his lips so as best to express and conceal his feelings.

"How's that?" he thought."They've had a row."

He hastened to his room with rising spirits and changed his linen.As he did so, he made up his mind that if Carrie was alone, or if she had gone to another place, it behooved him to find out.He decided to call at once.

"I know what I'll do," he thought."I'll go to the door and ask if Mr.Drouet is at home.That will bring out whether he is there or not and where Carrie is."

He was almost moved to some muscular display as he thought of it.

He decided to go immediately after supper.

On coming down from his room at six, he looked carefully about to see if Drouet was present and then went out to lunch.He could scarcely eat, however, he was so anxious to be about his errand.

Before starting he thought it well to discover where Drouet would be, and returned to his hotel.

"Has Mr.Drouet gone out?" he asked of the clerk.

"No," answered the latter, "he's in his room.Do you wish to send up a card?"

"No, I'll call around later," answered Hurstwood, and strolled out.

He took a Madison car and went direct to Ogden Place this time walking boldly up to the door.The chambermaid answered his knock.

"Is Mr.Drouet in?" said Hurstwood blandly.

"He is out of the city," said the girl, who had heard Carrie tell this to Mrs.Hale.

"Is Mrs.Drouet in?"

"No, she has gone to the theatre."

"Is that so?" said Hurstwood, considerably taken back; then, as if burdened with something important, "You don't know to which theatre?"

The girl really had no idea where she had gone, but not liking Hurstwood, and wishing to cause him trouble, answered: "Yes, Hooley's."

"Thank you," returned the manager, and, tipping his hat slightly, went away.

"I'll look in at Hooley's," thought he, but as a matter of fact he did not.Before he had reached the central portion of the city he thought the whole matter over and decided it would be useless.As much as he longed to see Carrie, he knew she would be with some one and did not wish to intrude with his plea there.

A little later he might do so--in the morning.Only in the morning he had the lawyer question before him.

This little pilgrimage threw quite a wet blanket upon his rising spirits.He was soon down again to his old worry, and reached the resort anxious to find relief.Quite a company of gentlemen were making the place lively with their conversation.A group of Cook County politicians were conferring about a round cherry-wood table in the rear portion of the room.Several young merrymakers were chattering at the bar before making a belated visit to the theatre.A shabbily-genteel individual, with a red nose and an old high hat, was sipping a quiet glass of ale alone at one end of the bar.Hurstwood nodded to the politicians and went into his office.

About ten o'clock a friend of his, Mr.Frank L.Taintor, a local sport and racing man, dropped in, and seeing Hurstwood alone in his office came to the door.

"Hello, George!" he exclaimed.

"How are you, Frank?" said Hurstwood, somewhat relieved by the sight of him."Sit down," and he motioned him to one of the chairs in the little room.

"What's the matter, George?" asked Taintor."You look a little glum.Haven't lost at the track, have you?"